458 MR. G. C. DRUCE ON THE 
On the Occurrence of Carex helvola, Blytt, in Britain. 
By G. C. Drvct, M.A., F.LS. 
[Read 3rd March, 1898.] 
Tue first reference to the occurrence of Carew helvola in 
Britain will be found in the ‘Scottish Naturalist,’ vol. ii. 
(1885-6), p. 268, where Mr. Arthur Bennett writes that “A 
plant gathered by the late Prof. Balfour, on Lochnagar, on 
11th August 1846, and regarded as Carew curta var. alpicola, proves 
to be C. helvola. Dr. A. Blytt has confirmed this identification.” 
In the ‘Journal of Botany’ for 1886, p. 149, Mr. Bennett 
writes more fully :—“ While examining my specimens of Carex 
curta var. ‘alpicola (Wabl.)’ for the purpose of comparing 
them with the C. vitilis of Fries, I was struck with the habit 
of one so named [from] Lochnagar, which I received from the 
Edinburgh Herbarium when Mr. F. M. Webb was Curator. 
On dissecting a spike, and comparing with type-specimens, 
it seemed to agree with C. helvola, Blytt, although decidedly 
less luxuriant. I divided the specimen and sent half to 
Dr. Blytt, and he wrote, ‘The Carex is no doubt C. helvola, 
though scanty ; it will be well to gather it at Balfour's station. 
The label runs thus :— Carew curta, B. alpicola (Wahl.), Loch- 
nagar, Aug. ll, 1846, Prof. J. H. Balfour.’ This was three 
years before the description of C. helvola appeared in Fries's 
‘Nya Botanika Notiser, for 1849.” 
Since the publication of this note by Mr. Bennett no further 
information about the plant has appeared in our British botanical 
publications. In the last edition of the ‘London Catalogue 
a query follows the census number ‘1,’ so it would appear that 
Mr. Bennett was not quite satisfied as to its being a British 
plant. I am now enabled to give more precise particulars 
respecting its occurrence in Britain. The recent history of 
its discovery is as follows:—In 1895 the Rev. W. O. Wait 
of Denchworth, a well-known bryologist, told me he had recently 
seen C. approximata (lagopina) on Ben Lawers. I told him that, 
so far as I was aware, that plant was not known to occur on 
the Breadalbane hils and I should be glad of specimens. 
Unfortunately he had not collected any, but in 1896 be "um 
visited the hill, in company with Mr. N. V. Sidgwick of Christ 
Church, Oxford, who I believe had been his former companion, 
